You're launching a new beverage alcohol product. You need a COLA from the TTB before anything can ship. So how long is this going to take?
Right now, in January 2026, most applications get processed in 3-5 days. Spirits labels are averaging 3 days; wine and malt beverages are averaging 5. That's calendar days from submission to approval, assuming you don't need corrections.
Those are medians. Half of applications move faster, half take longer. TTB's goal is to finish 85% of labels within 15 days, and they're hitting that mark pretty consistently.
What slows things down?
The biggest factor, by far, is whether your application is complete on the first try. COLAs Online catches obvious mistakes before you submit, but it can't catch everything.
Formula requirements trip people up constantly. Some products need formula approval before you can apply for a COLA. Flavored spirits, wine with added flavors, specialty items. If you submit a COLA for something that needs formula approval and you don't have it, that's an automatic delay. Not sure if yours needs one? Ask TTB or a beverage attorney before you submit.
Label compliance issues are the other big category. The government warning is surprisingly finicky - the bolding, capitalization, even comma placement has to be exact. Net contents requirements differ for beer, wine, and spirits. Geographic claims and age statements have specific rules. And TTB only takes JPEGs or PNGs under 1.5MB at 120-170 dpi minimum. No TIFFs, no PDFs.
Submission volume matters too. Holiday seasons and new product launch cycles create backlogs. Applications go in the order they're received, so timing affects your wait.
Getting through faster
Use COLAs Online. Electronic applications skip mail time, have built-in validation, and let you fix corrections immediately instead of starting over.
Get your formula approved first if you need one. Submitting a COLA without required formula approval is a guaranteed bounce.
Triple-check your government warning against the official TTB requirements. Character by character. It's tedious, but it's one of the most common reasons applications get sent back.
Make sure your images are formatted correctly. JPEG or PNG, under 1.5MB, at least 120 dpi. Wrong format means resubmitting.
Read the labeling regulations for your specific product class. Wine, beer, and spirits each have different rules. What works for one doesn't necessarily work for another.
When you need corrections
If TTB finds problems, you'll get a "Needs Correction" status. This isn't a rejection - it means you can fix things without starting over. You have 30 days to respond. Miss that window and the application gets rejected automatically.
There's a quirk here that actually works in your favor: corrected applications get priority. When you resubmit your fix, it goes to the front of the queue ahead of new applications. With good timing, you might get approved faster than if you'd submitted perfectly the first time. Strange but true.
Checking your status
If you submitted through COLAs Online, log in and go to "My eApplications." You'll see:
- Received - TTB has it but hasn't assigned a specialist yet
- Needs Correction - issues found, respond within 30 days
- Conditionally Approved - approved with specific conditions
- Approved - you're good
- Rejected - denied, you'll need to submit fresh
TTB also publishes their current processing date on the processing times page. You can see roughly where they are in the queue.
After approval
Once approved, your COLA becomes part of TTB's public registry. We pull new approvals into COLA Cloud within 24 hours of publication. If you're tracking competitors or watching for new market entrants, that daily refresh means you see new products almost as soon as they're approved.
Last updated: January 2026. Processing times shift based on TTB workload. Check the official TTB processing times page for current numbers.